The United States of Beer: The Best Brew From Each of the 50 States

In this age of the internet, a well-programmed robot could easily put together a pretty decent “Best Beer in Every State” listicle. Scrape results from Beer Advocate, RateBeer, BeerGraphs, even Untappd, and you’d have a fairly competent nifty 50. But screw the algorithms and user reviews—we all know a highest-rated beer isn’t necessarily an overall best beer.

Scan any user-generated beer rankings and you’ll see the top of the list dominated almost completely by hazy IPAs, adjunct-crammed imperial stouts, and barrel-aged sour oddities—the more limited the higher-ranked. But that entirely misses the point of what it means to be the best.

Just like the scissor-tailed flycatcher is the state bird of Oklahoma, or the ponderosa pine is Montana’s state tree, the following are the brews that should be the official state beer of their respective localities. Shameless congressman ought to immediately issue floor bills to honor these beers. In fact, you know what—just go ahead and add ’em to each state’s Wikipedia page if you’re so inclined.

You may argue with some of these picks, but unquestionably they’re all great beers. Some have been around since the 1990s, helping pioneer the state’s entire craft beer scene from its infancy, while others have existed for less than twelve months and haven’t even been drunk by your average beer fan. We at First We Feast did a similar exercise back in late 2012—a mere three-and-a-half years ago, but a lifetime in the world of craft beer. Back then, now-ballyhooed breweries like J. Wakefield, Side Project, and de Garde didn’t even exist, and a Hill Farmstead and Tree House barely did. As you can imagine, that previous list is, by our count, 91% different from this one.

With help from some friends in the industry—local experts, some of them fellow writers, some just good ol’ fashioned drinkers—here is the best beer for each and every state (plus Washington D.C.).

Our panel:

Os Cruz, social media guru at TalkBeer

Michael Pomranz, writer for Food & Wine

Bryan Roth, writer for All About Beer and runs the blog This is Why I'm Drunk

Luke Schmuecker, co-founder & CMO of The Beer Exchange

Cory Smith, writer/photographer for Good Beer Hunting

Mark Williamson, beer enthusiast living in Boise, Idaho

Scroll below to view the best beer selection for every state. Or, to scout locations through our interactive map, click the "explore" button.

Alabama - Good People El Gordo

Image via First We Feast Original

Alabama’s beer scene is better than you’d probably guess, long bolstered by these boys from Birmingham, who have been putting out outstanding offerings since 2008. El Gordo is one of Good People’s more limited beers—part of something called their Bearded Reserve series—and, man, is it bold. Impressively, it’s not even barrel-aged (unusual for a rare stout in 2016), though it checks in at nearly 14% ABV. Thick as motor oil, rich as melted chocolate, with an underlying complexity of dark fruits, coffee, vanilla, and even pipe tobacco—this one delivers in every which way.—Aaron Goldfarb

Alaska - Midnight Sun Arctic Devil Barley Wine

Image via First We Feast Original

Staying warm is pertinent up in Seward’s Folly, and luckily our 49th state’s best beer is a banger of a barleywine. A near 14% English-style effort aged in oak barrels that previously held port, wine, and/or whiskey, Arctic Devil sure sounds like a product made for the modern beer geek. Shockingly, it’s been produced since 2005, and this liqueur-like offering still stands strong today as the state’s best brew.—Aaron Goldfarb

Arizona - Arizona Wilderness American Presidential Stout

Image via First We Feast Original

In hotter-than-hell Phoenix, you’d expect the preferred beer to be anything stylistically-described as “ice cold.” But out in the PHX ’burbs, Arizona Wilderness Brewing makes a rich, thick, and boozy imperial stout as good as anything you’d find in a colder climate. It does have an Arizona twist though—it’s made with smoked jalapeños from a local farm, then smoked over Arizona mesquite wood before being aged on cocoa nibs. And that’s how you make a Russian imperial stout more ’murican!—Aaron Goldfarb

Arkansas - Ozark Beer Company BDCS

Image via First We Feast Original

Even the most with-it beer geeks couldn’t name an Arkansas brewery a year or two ago—then this beauty started burning up the trade forums. Standing for Bourbon Double Cream Stout, Ozark’s 10.20% ABV offering crams a so-called “bourbon-soaked brownie” into a hand-labeled can. A limited yearly release now on its second batch, some folks have called this the best canned beer ever made. It’s certainly the Arkansas’s best all-time brew.—Aaron Goldfarb

California - Russian River Supplication

Image via First We Feast Original

I can envision readers’ eyes rolling when they see it’s another Russian River beer, but the logic behind it is simple. When I was trying to parse out what beer best represented California, it had to be a brew that utilized something in its ingredients or process that speaks to the region where it’s produced. Supplication does exactly that. There is a lot of wine made in California (245,751 tons of Pinot Noir alone in 2014), which means there are going to be a lot of pinot barrels in the area. Why use whiskey barrels from all over the country when you can use local barrels?—Luke Schmuecker

Colorado - New Belgium Lips of Faith La Folie

Image via First We Feast Original

Many consider Colorado the country’s best beer state. And with well over 200 breweries, there are thousands of local beers with a claim to being the ultimate prize. For my money, though, the state’s best brew somehow comes from its largest brewery and one of its oldest too. La Folie was a beer that geeks lost their minds over way before that was a thing geeks even did. Now over a decade old—and its vintages age quite well—La Folie is a brown ale aged in massive foeders for up to three years before being dry-hopped with Amarillo and Cascade. The crazily complex sour ale is acidic as vinegar, but with an underlying cherry and green apple sweetness.—Aaron Goldfarb

Connecticut - Kent Falls Field Beer

Image via First We Feast Original

Kent Falls is definitely the brewery to represent my home state of Connecticut. I know it’s a bold comparison, but when you are driving down that sketchy dirt road, where your cell phone service drops, and when you are wandering through their hop farm and drinking their dry-hopped farmhouse ales—it feels like the monumental Hill Farmstead South. They also use a lot of local malts, local hops, and local ingredients (peaches, blackberries, and even grapefruit, which I had no idea grew in Connecticut).—Luke Schmuecker

Delaware - Dogfish Head Festina Peche

Image via First We Feast Original

In the tiny state of Delaware, Dogfish Head is clearly the craft beer king. But though the brewery’s signature IPAs like 90 Minute regularly pop up on best beer lists, people often overlook some of their larger contributions. Take Festina Peche, for instance, my favorite Dogfish Head beer. This delicately peach-flavored Berliner weisse has been making summers bearable for a decade now, back before anyone outside of Berlin even knew what the style was. You can certainly get more pucker-worthy beers—including Dogfish’s own SeaQuench Ale—but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable beer on a hot day.—Michael Pomranz

D.C. - Bluejacket Whiskey Barrel-Aged Double Mexican Radio

Image via First We Feast Original

As recently as 2010, the District didn’t even have a brewery. But by now it counts several, including the stellar DC Brau and Right Proper. Bluejacket, however, is DC’s most avant-garde beermaker, and this imperial stout their best offering (and, oh boy, do they make a lot of different beers, over 200 since opening in 2014). This occasional offering takes the Navy Yard-located brewpub’s regularly-released mole-esque sweet stout, then ages it for 24 weeks in freshly-emptied whiskey barrels alongside vanilla beans, cacao nibs, ancho chiles, and cinnamon. OK, so that’s a flavor profile you’d more expect to see on the streets of Oaxaca, but it somehow also manages to meld perfectly with the hustle and bustle of our nation’s capital.—Aaron Goldfarb

Florida - J. Wakefield Miami Madness

Image via First We Feast Original

Once the land of frosty Coronas with lime, Florida has suddenly come on strong as a beer destination, with a slew of great offerings being produced by Cigar City, Funky Buddha, and Cycle Brewing. But for me, nothing says Florida beer of the moment more than J. Wakefield, producer of light, tart, and fruity “Florida weisses” perfect for dealing with the Miami heat. Miami Madness is their best and most iconic of this emerging style, a tasty sour fruited with mango, guava, and passion fruit.—Aaron Goldfarb

Georgia - Creature Comforts Tropicália

Image via First We Feast Original

Georgia is one of our nation’s emerging beer markets, and Athen’s Creature Comforts has quickly become The Peach State’s shining star. Tropicália is their year-round IPA, but it’s as good as any hoppy offering you’d stand in a line for on a Saturday morning. This mid-ABV offering is juicy and easy-drinking, a citrusy and tropical offering you can slug can after can of.—Aaron Goldfarb

Hawaii - Maui Brewing Coconut Hiwa Porter

Image via First We Feast Original

There’s perhaps no other state where one beer remains so singularly associated with it. In fact, for as long as I can remember, Coconut Hiwa Porter (once called CoCoNut Porter) was not only Hawaii’s best beer, it was one of the archipelago’s only “good” beers. A lower-ABV porter in a can, it pays homage to its location with enough fragrant coconut to make you think someone just popped the top on some Coppertone.—Aaron Goldfarb

Idaho - Crooked Fence Sins of Our Fathers

Image via First We Feast Original

It’s everything you could ever want in an imperial stout—dark roasted coffee with a hint of chocolate and vanilla packed into a nice creamy body. It’s also got enough octane at 9.2% to give it a big dollars to ABV ratio.—Mark Williamson

Illinois - Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout

Image via First We Feast Original

Yes, it’s owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev these days and, uh huh, there was that ugly infection recall of many of 2015’s batches. Still, Bourbon County Brand Stout is the beer that started America’s “best beer” craze. As America’s first bourbon barrel-aged stout (1992), it remains one of the best examples of that ever-popular style today. And, sure, each year brings us new variants—Bourbon County Coffee, Bourbon County Barleywine, and occasionally even “Rare” Bourbon County—but the base beer remains the king, a decadent, viscous, death-by-chocolate in a bottle.—Aaron Goldfarb

Indiana - 3 Floyds Zombie Dust

Image via First We Feast Original

Let some geek put together this list and he’d probably award Indiana’s top honors to some insanely rare Dark Lord variant you have to hold one of six magic tickets to score. In reality, Indiana’s best beer is indeed a 3 Floyds offering, but it’s one of their year-round flagships. Called a pale ale but more like an IPA, Zombie Dust was one of the first major beers to showcase Citra—still the industry’s hop du jour.—Aaron Goldfarb

Iowa - Toppling Goliath Assassin­ Imperial Stout

Image via First We Feast Original

This is sure to cause a stir because, let’s be honest, how can you narrow it down to one Toppling Goliath stout? [Full disclosure—I’ve never had KBBS, and probably never will.] And while I've sampled Mornin’ Delight and SR­71, Assassin stood out to me for its balance and depth. Yes it’s hard to get, and probably always will be, but when I did finally get to try it, I was pleasantly surprised to see it lived up to the hype. No adjuncts, no double-barrel blend—just a well­-executed, barrel-aged stout that drinks like a bourbon-soaked liquid brownie, in the best possible way.—Cory Smith

Kansas - Free State Old Backus Barleywine

Image via First We Feast Original

The Sunflower State’s beer scene still isn’t stellar—and pales in comparison to neighbor Missouri—but that’s OK, as they’ve had one world-class beer for nearly two decades. Free State Brewing opened in 1989 as Kansas’s first legal brewery in one-hundred years; they’ve been making their small-batch barleywine nearly as long. It’s packed with notes of caramel and toffee a has a luscious, sherry-like finish.—Aaron Goldfarb

Kentucky - Against the Grain Bo & Luke

Image via First We Feast Original

Louisville is bourbon country, of course, but the city has a burgeoning beer scene as well, with great stops like Sergio’s, Holy Grale, and this BBQ smokehouse cum brewpub set in the side of the town’s minor league baseball stadium. The brewery is aptly-named, as their oddball offerings buck brew norms, but their best beer is just what you’d expect out of Kentucky: a bourbon-inspired brew. An imperial stout made of barley, rye, and corn, then smoked with cherry wood before being aged in bourbon barrels, Bo & Luke might make the state’s denizens question just what exactly is the nectar of the gods.—Aaron Goldfarb

Louisiana - Parish Ghost in the Machine

Image via First We Feast Original

Louisiana was long a craft beer ghost town. Travel to the Bayou and you’d usually find yourself drinking Sazeracs at best, frozen Hurricanes on Bourbon Street at worst. But the beer scene has started to change, thanks a ton to this Broussard brewery. Their best beer is this double IPA—hazy, juicy, and just bitter enough for scrubbing your tongue down after eating some spicy Cajun food.—Aaron Goldfarb

Maine - Allagash Brewing Farm To Face

Image via First We Feast Original

Allagash White may be the beer that comes to mind when people think of this Portland brewery, but it’s their wild ale program that shows off their robust, innovative side. While many of their fruit­-infused sours could potentially make this list, Farm To Face incorporates peaches, which usually means game over when it comes to the “fruit every beer person wants in a sour” conversation. Tart, juicy, and infinitely drinkable, this one is worth drinking fresh while also sitting on one for a bit to see how it develops. Grab a few the next time it gets released.—Cory Smith

Maryland - Stillwater Gose Gone Wild

Image via First We Feast Original

I’m loathe to call Maryland’s best beer one that starts as a gose from outta South Carolina (Westbrook Gose) before being dosed with Citra and Amarillo hops and then fermented with various strains of Brettanomyces—at a contract brewery in Colorado. Still, if gypsy brewers Stillwater Artisanal want to call Baltimore home, then I will call their best beer their state’s best offering as well. This gorgeous offering is dry and funky but with a highly tropical finish, a perfect refresher whether you’re drinking in South Carolina, Colorado, Maryland, or somewhere else entirely.—Aaron Goldfarb

Massachusetts - Samuel Adams Utopias

Image via First We Feast Original

Suddenly, Massachusetts has become a state with some of the most acclaimed breweries and sought-out beers in the entire world. But I ain’t picking something from the rightfully-feted Tree House or Trillium. Instead, I’m selecting a beer from the granddaddy of Massachusetts craft beer, Sam Adams. Released more or less every two years since 2002, Utopias is a crazy complex blend of various beers aged in various barrels for various amounts of time. It ain’t cheap (around $200), it ain’t easy-drinking (around 30% ABV), and it’s packaged in gorgeous, brew kettle-looking porcelain bottles. It’s also uncarbonated so that one may enjoy it over numerous evenings, like a fine port or sherry, which is closer to what it tastes like. Rich, viscous, with potent notes of toffee, chocolate, maple syrup, and dark fruits, you’ll find yourself asking, “Is this really beer?” It is, and it’s still truly one-of-a-kind.—Aaron Goldfarb

Michigan - Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock

Image via First We Feast Original

Michigan is a flat-out battleground of a best beer state, with countless acclaimed offerings from places like Founders and Bell’s. Still, for me, nothing has ever defined the Mitten more than this oddball offering from Warren’s Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. A remarkable 15.5% beer that’s been brewed since 2004, local raspberries and juice are infused into this lager—yes, a bock is a lager—before the beer is ice-distilled to raise the ABV. The final beer is thick as IHOP’s syrup, tasty as a cordial, and uniquely “Michigan.”—Aaron Goldfarb

Minnesota - Surly Abrasive Ale

Image via First We Feast Original

Minnesotans love to drink beer, and the North Star State continues to be one of our nation’s most underrated beer destinations. Surly still feels like a new kid on the block, but remarkably they’ve just celebrated their first decade of selling beer. Great beer, in fact. Abrasive Ale has been around nearly that long, a thick-bodied “oatmeal” double IPA bursting with tropical fruits from a generous Citra dry-hopping. All of Surly’s hoppy stuff is worth seeking out, but this is theirs, and thereby the state’s, best brew.—Aaron Goldfarb

Mississippi - Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan

Image via First We Feast Original

Rare is the state whose best beer is an English brown ale, but, let’s just say The Magnolia State doesn’t exactly put forth a lot of competition at the moment. It’s not completely their fault. Long plagued by archaic beer laws, as recently as 2012 the state was still home to just one craft brewery—Lazy Magnolia was it!—but today there’s a good dozen and growing. Now I wouldn’t call Southern Pecan a “great” beer, but it’s certainly an iconic one that has pretty much defined the state’s beer scene for the last decade—made with whole roasted pecans that add a nice nuttiness to the malty base. Another five years from now, this’ll be a fun state to revisit.—Aaron Goldfarb

Missouri - Side Project Tête du Cuvée

Image via First We Feast Original

Side Project Brewing is known for making fantastic barrel-aged saisons, each delicious in its own right. Tête may be a beer where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts though. While each barrel employed in the blend may be great on its own, once married, what emerges is a truly incredible beer. Tart, oaky, and vinous, it’s a real treat to drink.—Cory Smith

Montana - Big Sky Ivan the Terrible Barrel-Aged

Image via First We Feast Original

Montana has never been any sort of craft beer oasis even though they’ve long had one nationally-acclaimed beer. That beer, the bourbon barrel-aged version of Big Sky’s standard imperial stout, has been around in various formats since 2006. Now a yearly corked-and-caged and foil-wrapped release, Ivan the Terrible Barrel Aged is a mocha booze bomb—whiskey-forward yet surprisingly drinkable owing to its thinner body.—Aaron Goldfarb

For my money, one of the more underrated breweries in America comes from just outside of Omaha. Papillion’s Nebraska Brewing Co. has been quietly pumping out solid flagships and sexy barrel-aged offerings for nearly a decade—so where’s the love? Part of their “Reserve Series” of Belgian-ish brews, Melange A Trois takes a bold blonde ale (at around 11%) and ages it for half a year in French oak chardonnay barrels. What comes out is an extraordinarily complex, fizzy and vinous bottling that beautifully shows just how a wine barrel can transform a beer.—Aaron Goldfarb

Nevada - Joseph James Bourbon Barrel Russian Imperial Stout

Image via First We Feast Original

Nevada is a place that still cares more about blackjack, boobs, and Barry Manilow than it does beer. Since most brews in Vegas are of the “comped” variety, giving a damn about style and flavor often seems a bit futile. Which makes it all the most impressive the state has an honest-to-god bourbon barrel-aged stout. For the last five years this Henderson brewer has released this roasty and chocolatey offering—not world-class by any means, but if you want world class, buy a ticket to see Mr. Barry Manilow.—Aaron Goldfarb

New Hampshire - Deciduous Auroral

Image via First We Feast Original

Surrounded by three of the country’s best beer states in Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts, it can be easy to ignore The Granite State. You shouldn’t, as a great beer scene has emerged of late, with top-notch breweries like Kelsen and Stoneface to go alongside old dog Smuttynose of course. Deciduous is perhaps the state’s most adventurous brewer, often focusing on lower-ABV sours. Though they’ve been known to brew a “pseudo-lambic” or two, Deciduous’s best brew is this Berliner weisse made with acidulated malts, blood oranges, and lychee.—Derek Wallace

New Jersey - Kane Galaxy Head High

Image via First We Feast Original

Having lived most my life in New Jersey made picking one beer to represent the state tough. My first instinct was to go for Boat Beer from Carton, as it is the Jersey beer that I have consumed the most of. I also thought about something from Conclave as the new up-and-comer on the scene. I gave A Night to End All Dawns plenty of consideration too; it is after all, the state’s most sought-after beer and best imperial stout I’ve had in years. That said, I picked Galaxy Head High from Kane for two reasons: 1. Back in August of 2011, it was the first time I had a New Jersey IPA that I thought could finally hold up to the quality of IPAs being done in other parts of the country, and 2. it was my first introduction to Galaxy hops. To this day, it still is one of the top Galaxy dry-hopped beers in the world. In essence, it marks the new age of beer in New Jersey, a time where we can be proud of the Carton, Conclave, and Kane beers that embody the region.—Os Cruz

New Mexico - La Cumbre Elevated IPA

Image via First We Feast Original

Albuquerqueans have a true gem in La Cumbre Brewing Co., who are making some of the finest hoppy beers in the entire southwest. Translated as “The Top,” La Cumbre’s best offering is happily a year-round flagship. Elevated IPA is resinous and sticky, piney and citrusy but not all too bitter, and dangerously drinkable to boot.—Aaron Goldfarb

New York - Finback BQE Barrel Aged

Image via First We Feast Original

Picking the best beer from the state I live in was no easy task. I waffled between choices from Other Half, Grimm Artisanal Ales, Threes Brewing, Evil Twin, Singlecut, Captain Lawrence, and even Prison City and Hudson Valley Brewery in upstate. Having said that, my choice for the city (and state’s) best beer might at first glance seems like just another fairly limited barrel-aged imperial stout. But wait! BQE (an homage to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that connects the two boroughs) is a real inter-borough affair—cocoa nibs come from a Brooklyn-based chocolatier (like Raaka or Fine & Raw), while coffee comes from a Queens-based roastery (like Native Coffee Roasters). It’s then aged in bourbon barrels from, uh, Kentucky, I would imagine.—Aaron Goldfarb

North Carolina - Lynnwood Brewing Concern Mosaic Pale Ale

Image via First We Feast Original

Wicked Weed deservedly gets plenty of attention and non-North Carolinian beer lovers have heard of NoDa, Fullsteam, or Burial, but this brewery from Raleigh is making some of the best hop-forward beers in the eastern part of the state. Mosaic, one of the darling hops of brewers today, is showcased perfectly in this pale ale, making it easy to enjoy its array of fruit flavors one can after another.—Bryan Roth

North Dakota - Fargo Iron Horse Pale Ale

Image via First We Feast Original

The Dakotas have long been an absolute wasteland when it comes to good beer, but thankfully, that’s changing. For one, North Dakota is literally the beer-drinking capital of America—43.6 gallons per adult per year!—so you’d think some of those gallons would have to be somewhat tasty. Luckily there’s Iron Horse, the flagship pale ale from the state’s most notable brewery. Iron Horse Pale Ale is a boldly aromatic Pacific northwest-style pale ale, in fact; floral, fruity, drinkable, you could do worse!—Aaron Goldfarb

Ohio - Fat Head’s Head Hunter IPA

Image via First We Feast Original

Ohio was one of the toughest decisions on the map—to go old-school with Great Lakes, or new-fangled with Hoof Hearted? To reward the ambition of Jackie O’s, or the quiet greatness of Columbus Brewing? And what about Thirsty Dog and Hoppin’ Frog? Ultimately, though, it was hard to ignore the flawless execution of Head Hunter—a simple, West Coast-style IPA brewed by an Ohio brewpub that started as a Pittsburgh taphouse and now also has a location in Portland, Oregon. It’s worth seeking out wherever you are.—Aaron Goldfarb

Oklahoma - Prairie Funky Gold Mosaic

Image via First We Feast Original

Though its most geeked-out-over beer is BOMB!, it feels downright silly to call that Prairie Artisan Ale’s best beer. BOMB! is a perfectly solid, adjunct-laden imperial stout, but Prairie truly excels and separates themselves from other breweries in this country when they deal in the farmhouse realm. Starting with one of brewmaster Chase Healey’s more standard saisons—Prairie Gold—that mix-fermentation offering is then dry-hopped with Mosaic. Sounds basic enough, but the resultant beer teeters between barnyard funky and citrusy/tropical while remaining bone dry.—Aaron Goldfarb

Oregon - de Garde The Broken Truck

Image via First We Feast Original

Finding a stateside gueuze as good as they make in Belgium is a fool’s folly, yet this small brewery in Oregon might come closest to succeeding. de Garde set up shop in Tillamook on the Oregon coast because they found the “bugs and critters” in the air there perfect for adding intriguing notes to their spontaneously-fermented beers. The Broken Truck started with a literal broken beer truck, resulting in the need to quickly blend three different years of lambic into this masterpiece of a gueuze.—Aaron Goldfarb

Pennsylvania - Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale

Image via First We Feast Original

For over 15 years, Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale has been one of the most under-appreciated drinks on the planet. If I told you I’d just found a perfectly sessionable, citrus-forward pale ale built around a single hop variety, you’d probably ask me which hip new brewery had made such an awesome beer. Yards did—back in 2000. And thankfully, they haven’t changed a thing since. While new brews constantly lean towards the latest trends, Philly Pale Ale has been consistently delightful since the day it came out.—Michael Pomranz

Rhode Island - Grey Sail Captain’s Daughter

Image via First We Feast Original

My heart wanted to go with something from Proclamation because that is the style of beer I typically go for, but I am going to have to give it to Captain's Daughter from Grey Sail. It’s the first beer I saw traded for from Rhode Island. It’s also the first Rhode Island beer to have a one-case limit at a bottle shop, or “packie,” depending on where you are from.—Luke Schmuecker

South Carolina - Westbrook Mexican Cake

Image via First We Feast Original

There was perhaps no easier state selection than this one. Not because South Carolina lacks other great beers—I’d cite COAST Boy King for one—but because no other great beers are so closely associated with their state. Mexican Cake burst on the scene in 2012 and instantly became one of the more coveted shelf beers in the country, thanks to its complex imperial stout profile packed with cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, and fresh habanero peppers. Each year newer, rarer variants are released (Mexican Coffee Cake, Cognac Mexican Cake, et al.) but none are quite as good as the O.G.—Aaron Goldfarb

South Dakota - Wooden Legs Split Rock Creek Pale Ale

Image via First We Feast Original

The biggest debate is whether South Dakota has a worse beer scene than North. Whatever the case, it too at least has an excellent pale ale. The Brookings brewpub with a funny name produces this Pacific Northwest hops-packed pale that is perfect for polishing off a’plenty.—Aaron Goldfarb

Tennessee - Yazoo Sue

Image via First We Feast Original

Rare is it that you see a great, no-frills porter these days, but that’s exactly what Sue is—and it’s one of the best porters in the entire damn country. Big and bold, with a noticeable hop profile, Sue doesn’t need any adjuncts or barrel-aging treatments to eke out its immense flavor and complexity. Then again, I suppose it does have one frill: cherry-wood smoked malts, which adds nicely to the beer’s southern charm.—Aaron Goldfarb

Texas - Live Oak Pilz

Image via First We Feast Original

Last month I went out to visit Garrett Crowell at Jester King (one of my favorite breweries in the country). When I was leaving, I told Garrett I was going to hit up Salt Lick and get some BBQ. As soon I mentioned it, he ran back into their cooler and grabbed me a can of Live Oak Pilz to take over. It totally makes sense: Texas is hot and you are eating BBQ, so why would you be drinking anything but an amazing local pilsner out of a can? Burnt ends, ribs, beans, coleslaw and Pilz—that meal could not have been more Texas if it tried.—Luke Schmuecker

Utah - Epic Big Bad Baptist

Image via First We Feast Original

Utah has prohibitive beer laws (as in, no beer over 4% can be sold in most places), which makes it even more intriguing how much Epic Brewing flaunts those restrictions. The Salt Lake City brewery—with a satellite location in Denver—makes almost exclusively high-ABV offerings. Their best of the bunch is Big Bad Baptist, an ass-kicker of an imperial stout made with cocoa nibs and a constantly changing infusion of dark roasted coffee beans.—Aaron Goldfarb

Vermont - Hill Farmstead Everett Porter

Image via First We Feast Original

In a state famous for hoppy beers like Heady Topper and Double Sunshine, I could have easily picked one of those. I could also list any of Hill Farmstead's hoppy beers or world-class saisons. For argument's sake, I chose Everett because it is perfect. No barrels. No extreme hopping. No adjuncts. Everett is the flawless execution of a classic style. Those are qualities not easily found these days.—Os Cruz

Virginia - Hardywood Park Trickery

Image via First We Feast Original

These days, barrel-aged stouts are about as ubiquitous as IPAs. The market demands them, and breweries deliver. So it’s notable when one really stands out from the crowd. Trickery—an apple brandy barrel-aged milk stout—does just that. It’s a viscous, creamy, chocolate-­laden brew with fruit notes from the apple brandy barrels; they all work together to make this a must-try stout.—Cory Smith

Washington - Fremont Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star: Coffee Edition

Image via First We Feast Original

The bourbon barrel-aged version of Fremont’s Dark Star Oatmeal Stout is great, but this version, the Coffee Edition, really stands out. They take a solid, creamy oatmeal stout, then throw it in barrels to give some bourbon complexity, but it’s the addition of the coffee that really propels this beer into the delicious column. Dark, roasty, creamy, there’s just something about coffee that really works with this style of beer. This one’s an excellent example of that.—Cory Smith

West Virginia - Big Timber IPA

Image via First We Feast Original

I was in a filling station in Morgantown and the kid behind the counter recommended this beer to me. It has an excellent hop profile without being too over-the-top bitter; extremely refreshing and easy to drink too. That’s enough to be West Virginia’s best beer.—Mark Williamson

Wisconsin - New Glarus Belgian Red

Image via First We Feast Original

“Fruit beer” was long a bad word in the beer game—ghettoized to “girly” beers if we’re being frank—but of late fruited offerings are red hot in everything, from wild ales to IPA. New Glarus has long been an exception to fear of the fruit, having produced a series of lovely fruit beers since the early 2000s. One of the 20 biggest breweries in America while, amazingly, not distributing their offerings outside of The Badger State (yes, Wisconsinites like to drink), New Glarus’ best beer is this Belgian brew made with over a pound of local Montmorency cherries per bottle. It’s not just the state’s best beer, it’s the world’s best fruit beer.—Aaron Goldfarb

Wyoming - Thai Me Up/Melvin Brewing 2x4 DIPA

Image via First We Feast Original

You probably wouldn’t expect Wyoming’s best brewery to be a pseudo Thai restaurant with a punny name, but indeed Melvin Brewing works a nano-system in the back of the brewpub. Bursting on the scene with a slew of medals at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival, by 2015 it was named GABF’s brewpub of the year. Melvin’s best beer is this bold DIPA, tropical yet a bit of a throwback to the days when an IPA could still have a sweet, malt backbone.—Aaron Goldfarb

Latest News

Now Trending

FIRST WE FEAST participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means FIRST WE FEAST gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive.